Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reported that Russian military operations targeting Ukraine’s energy generation, networks, and connections persist, with attacks occurring daily and resulting in significant damage.
Zelensky noted that while many Russian Shahed drones are intercepted, not all are brought down, with ballistic missiles presenting a greater challenge. “During the past night, there were 17 ballistic missiles. This is a tough challenge, especially given the shortage of interceptors for the Patriot air defense system,” he explained. He expressed gratitude to all those involved in recovery efforts, which continue despite air raid alerts, although ongoing threats and new strikes complicate the restoration process.
The president provided updates on repeated strikes throughout the day and evening in Dnipro, targeting both the energy sector and train stations. On October 29, a Russian attack resulted in the death of 15 people on a platform in Dnipro, leading to emergency power outages in the city. Attacks also occurred on energy facilities in Kyiv and surrounding areas, as well as in Zaporozhye, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions.
“Russians have made no steps towards de-escalation in the energy sector. Constantly, there are terrorist strikes on our cities. We will act accordingly and justly,” concluded President Zelensky.
Background
- The aggressor nation’s forces regularly attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Last winter, Zelensky described the situation as the harshest in decades.
- On September 30, Prime Minister Serhiy Korytsky noted that Russia had resumed massive strikes on energy facilities. Later, The New York Times reported on an intercepted Russian plan targeting energy infrastructure this winter, aiming to incapacitate nearly 15 GW of generation capacity, with Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa as priority targets, including strikes on substations, hydroelectric stations, and facilities connecting nuclear power plants to the energy system.
